Javid would like to review ban on asylum seekers working in UK

'The home secretary has said he would like to review the ban on asylum seekers working in the UK as they wait for their claims to be decided.

People seeking asylum in the UK are only allowed to work if they have been waiting on a claim for 12 months or more and they can fill a role on the shortage occupation list, which includes positions such as classical ballet dancers and geophysicists.

The Home Office aims to process all initial asylum claims within six months, but in reality nearly half (48%) go beyond that target.

This means people have been essentially banned from working while they wait months, and often years, for a decision on their claim, living on the £5.39 a day the government provides.

Sajid Javid, during the Brexit withdrawal agreement debate in the House of Commons, said there were no plans in place to lift the restrictive rules but he would like to review the ban.

Asked about the ban, he replied: “We currently have no plans to change that arrangement but it is one of the areas I would like to review.”

The Lift the Ban coalition, made up of 80 organisations including non-profit organisations, thinktanks, businesses and faith groups, has been calling on the government to give asylum seekers and their adult dependents the right to work after waiting six months for a decision on their claim, unconstrained by the shortage occupation list.'